re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by TupeloTiger on 1/24/13 at 5:14 pm to The Boat)

During the Final Four era of Dale Brown, we would beat everybody but Kentucky. And they had a New Orleans player Rick Roby who spurned LSU. Then we finally beat them like 88-86 one time and went on to the Final Four. I saw a Roby game once at B.R.. It was late 70's or early 80's. Kentucky was the team to beat then. Florida was good. We were usually 2nd or 3rd in the conference and progressed in the tournament often.

The regular season champs from 1977 to 1986 were always either LSU or Kentucky. The SEC Tourney didn't begin until 1979, and LSU won it in 1980, in between the two regular season titles in 1979 & 1981. The '86 & '87 teams were of course the famous NCAA Tourney teams.

EDIT: There's also a good place to look up year-by-year results for UK basketball at LINK.

The '78 Cats went 30-2 and won a NC, losing only on the road to Bama & LSU.

The '79 Cats weren't that good and lost both games to LSU.

The '80 Cats went 29-6, and lost to LSU at home, and also in the NCAA Tourney.

The '81 Cats went 22-6, and lost to LSU on the road.

They split again for a couple of years, and then UK swept in '84, and then split in '85, and then UK swept in '86, except not really, because LSU beat UK in the NCAA Tourney to punch their ticket to the Final Four.

Then in '87 LSU swept, beating the crap out of UK in Rupp 76-41.

By that time, UK basketball was no longer what it once was, and then LSU had an off year in '88, and then Chris Jackson came to town in '89 and made LSU basketball get insanely popular with the fans.

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by Ronis on 1/24/13 at 5:45 pm to Doc Fenton)

86-87 Kentucky beat us twice in the regular season and once in the SEC Tournament. Nikita Wilson was out on grades, we were down players to chicken pox It got so bad Chris Carrier suited up. The season changed when we lost to Georgetown in a game we got hosed. On our last possession Dale told Jose Varges and Ollie Brown whatever you do do not shoot. Jose let a 17 foot rocket go and we lost. We played great the resu of the year. In the regional final Ricky Blanton out played Kenny Sky Walker and Winston Bennett. When it really counted we beat that crap team and went onto the final 4. We were a 11 seed and should have beaten Pervis Ellison and Louisville. I don't think and NCAA team went so far with so many set backs and role players. Thanks Derrick Taylor, John Williams, Ricky Blanton, Anthony Wilson, Ollie , Jose, Bernard Woodside, and my favorite the late Don Redden. And Yugos.

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by Doc Fenton on 1/24/13 at 5:47 pm to Ronis)

I was just a teeny kid, but losing to Bobby fricking Knight and the Hoosiers in 1987 in the Elite 8 had to be the most heartbreaking loss in the history of LSU basketball. I really can't imagine anything coming close to being that devastating.

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by 1984Tiger on 1/24/13 at 5:55 pm to Ronis)

quote:86-87 Kentucky beat us twice in the regular season and once in the SEC Tournament. Nikita Wilson was out on grades, we were down players to chicken pox It got so bad Chris Carrier suited up. The season changed when we lost to Georgetown in a game we got hosed. On our last possession Dale told Jose Varges and Ollie Brown whatever you do do not shoot. Jose let a 17 foot rocket go and we lost. We played great the resu of the year. In the regional final Ricky Blanton out played Kenny Sky Walker and Winston Bennett. When it really counted we beat that crap team and went onto the final 4. We were a 11 seed and should have beaten Pervis Ellison and Louisville. I don't think and NCAA team went so far with so many set backs and role players. Thanks Derrick Taylor, John Williams, Ricky Blanton, Anthony Wilson, Ollie , Jose, Bernard Woodside, and my favorite the late Don Redden. And Yugos.

Absolutely my greatest memory of LSU basketball. This was Dale Brown's type of team, and proof that he was a helluva coach. He just needed the right group of overachievers to have success.

Agree with you there Doc, I was in law school at the time in Mississippi and watching that game from my dorm room. Should not have gotten that close down the stretch but even still if Fess Irvin from my home town of Gonzales and high school alma mater East Ascension hits the free throws down the stretch . We Win. I like you was highly upset because if we win that game, the Final Four is in the Superdome and I believe , truly believe we would have won the Big Dance.

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by danfraz on 1/24/13 at 6:05 pm to windhammontanatigers)

When the Hustler's beat UK in OT with a unreal number of guys fouled out, that's when LSU took off under Dale.

There are two games that come to mind the most. The Elite Eight game in 85-86 when LSU had lost three times to UK that season already. Ricky Blanton running up court arms waving in jubilation will be etched in my mind till the day I die. The other is really a meaningless game. But it was at UK and LSU won like 76-49 or some crazy shite like that. It was during Eddie Sutton's time up there. It was the worse home defeat in UK history and may still be.

Many games in the 80's were top 25 matchups, when SEC basketball seemed to actually matter. Great memories

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by T on 1/24/13 at 6:25 pm to The Boat)

Pretty sure Dale Brown has beaten Kentucky more times than any other coach. From the late 70s to early 90s the lsu/uk games were usually big games by both schools' standards. The pmac was always crazy for the games and lsu would have mike drop down from the ceiling before the starting lineups, shoot fireworks, etc. Kentucky fans also joined in to loudly boo lester earl everytime he touched the ball during their 2nd round game in the '99 tournament in the dome partly because they knew how bad that guy hurt our program. It was a good rivalry for around 15 years. Hopefully we'll get good enough soon to be able to compete with them every year.

re: Can an old timer give a history lesson of the LSU/Kentucky basketball series?(Posted by windhammontanatigers on 1/24/13 at 6:32 pm to danfraz)

So true , I was at that game in 1978 sitting with my cousin. That was a great among the great Kentucky games and you are so right , I seem to remember one of LSU's first of not too many 7 footers Rick Mattick from the state of Florida hitting some free throws down the stretch to get us up by 2 or 3 in the second OT to just about secure the win. You are correct, definitely some great memories back in the day.